When using missile systems it is sometimes desirable to let the missile miss the target with a certain distance. One example comprises an antitank missile travelling approximately horizontally and provided with a shaped charge devised to hit at an angle downwards/forwards. Said missile should pass approximately one meter over the tank to enable the shaped charge to achieve good effect at the tank. It should be mentioned that most conventional tanks usually are well protected against direct hits from the front, side and behind. The missiles “NLAW” and “Bill” are examples of missiles using such a method, although they are not utilising target seeking mechanisms.
Another example concerns attacks using a ground target missile, where the target seeker is not able to see the target, but where it has been possible to determine the target position in relation to one or more other objects that can be seen by the target seeker.
Most known missile systems for antitank warfare use missiles that approach the target from above. There seems to be few if any known systems of today that combine the benefits of a target seeker, a horizontally flying missile having a shaped charge devised to hit downwards, with means for steering the missile in such a way that it passes a predetermined distance above the target.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,932,833 discloses a fly over homing guidance system for terminal homing missile guidance which comprises a fire and forget missile guidance method wherein on board target sensing tracks the target and guides the missile to the target, but instead of being guided to a direct impact as is conventionally done, the missile is guided towards a precise distance over the top of the target, intentionally avoiding impact.
The use of target seeking and inertial navigation system data in order to accomplish a direct hit is well known in the art. The use of the same information to accomplish that the missile “misses” the target with an appropriate distance is less known.